IRAN has further stoked simmering tensions with the United States by insisting its warships will ignore a warning to keep clear of US Navy vessels, paving the war for dangerous future stand-offs.

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The naval units of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman will continue their regular missions in accordance with professional principles as in the past

Iranian military official

The United States yesterday warned mariners in the Persian Gulf to stay at least 100 metres from US ships. However, an unnamed Iranian military official struck a defiant note, saying: "The naval units of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman will continue their regular missions in accordance with professional principles as in the past."